The MCC Buzz, August 24, 2017

TONIGHT

Thursday, August 24 at 6 p.m.

(parents only)

Student schedules may be picked up beginning at 5:30 p.m. in front of Hurley Hall (gym) or Aquinas Hall depending on weather conditions. You will then report directly to your child's 1st period class. The evening will begin promptly at 6 p.m. with a brief welcome during 1st period.

Unconventional First School Mass

By Andrea Zavalla

With the recent renovation of the newly-named Hurley Hall, the gymnasium unfortunately could not be used to conduct school-wide mass services. As a solution, administration decided to hold the first school mass through a live-stream throughout all of the classrooms on campus. Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, and campus clergymen all met in the Sullivan Media Center to run the mass, while students stayed in their third-period classes and watched the livestream. As the community celebrated the Assumption of Mary, Father Karl focused on home environments resulting from the presence of our hearts. "Father Karl's homily really opened my eyes. It doesn't matter where you are as long as you have your loved ones around you, because that is what really matters," says junior Claire Lockhart. Even though this was MCC's first run with an online mass, it proved to be a successful solution and the faculty, staff, and students are looking forward to the start of a great school year.

Dual-Enrolled Seniors Begin Class

By Andrea Zavalla

MCC's reputation as a college-preparatory high school provides students with new opportunities to grow academically, such as its partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). As a result, seniors attending MCC have the option to enroll in a FIT class and the beginning of the fall semester commenced on August 21, 2017. "I enjoy being treated as an independent college student, because I am given the trust to perform in a competitive college environment," says senior Maddie MacDonald, who is currently taking Intro to Software Development at FIT. This great opportunity gives students college experience and further prepares them academically for future success.

AP Scholar Awards 2017

The College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Program offers students who took Advanced Placement Exams in May 2017 several levels of recognition through the AP Scholars Awards Program.

Click here to view the MCC students that have earned an AP distinction. We congratulate these students for their success on the AP Exams.

Varsity Football Fights Back in Preseason Debut

MCC's Varsity Football Team opened their 2017 season in a big way Friday night! In a game that 'didn't count,' the Hustlers continually overcame single score deficits to defeat the Chiefs of Cardinal Gibbons High School (Ft. Lauderdale) by a score of 35-33. The Chiefs, ranked 13th in the entire state of Florida, jumped out to a 10-0 lead. That was the only 2-score lead they would enjoy the whole night. The Hustlers fought back all night long and our well coached men with big hearts led at half time 14-13.

The Hustlers began the second half with a long drive that consumed nearly eight minutes of game clock, but did not lead to a score. The Chiefs then scored quickly to regain the lead, but the Hustlers kept battling back all night long. They got huge plays from Lorenzo Hardy with big time pass receptions and a huge interception, near perfect passing from Joaquin Collazo, relentless power running from LaAnthony Valentine and big play after big play from Branden Hall. A huge fumble recovery by Eric Johanning and a key fourth down pass reception for a first down by Cameron Wicks in the final minutes sealed the victory. Read more

Amazing American Idol Experience

MCC junior Ayla Baker Kural was able to make a dream come true when she auditioned for American Idol. She arrived at Disney Springs at 4:30 a.m. on August 17 and waited in line for seven hours. While waiting, everyone would gather around someone with an instrument and sing harmonies to numerous different songs. There were 5,000 people auditioning, and only 100 would move on. "Being surrounded by so many talented young people who share the same dreams as I do was incredible," said Ayla, "I got a lot of great feedback from my judge and will definitely be auditioning again next year. I would encourage anyone who wanted to audition to do it because it is a ton of fun and an amazing experience."

Introducing More New Faces to MCC

Mr. Ernest Arico - English

Mr. Arico i s the newest member of our English Department. He previously worked at Florida Today and has taught at Brevard Community College and other local high schools. He is currently a driving and classroom instructor for the Florida Safety Council. Mr. Arico is originally from Poughkeepsie, New York and earned his B.A. degree from Marist College. He is teaching a variety of classes at MCC including English II, Writing for College Success, ACT/SAT Preparation, and Career Research and Decision Making. He will also coach our Boys and Girls Tennis team this spring.

Mr. Ted Brunger - Community Relations

Mr. Brunger recently joined MCC as the Community Relations Coordinator. His focus will be to create resources for our competitive and non-competitive after school activities. He is from Syracuse, New York and earned his B.S. from Canisius College. He spent the past 10 years as a business analyst with Sungard Employee Benefits Systems. He and his wife, Jeanne, have three sons. Their oldest son Teddy is a member of the class of 2020.

Ms. Jade Chan-Pong - Religion

Ms. Chan-Pong is excited to be back at MCC as a member of our Religion department. She is originally from this area, attended Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School and a member of the MCC class of 2011. Ms. Chan-Pong earned her B.A. from the University of Florida and M.A. from The Augustine Institute.

Mr. John Combs - Exceptional Student Education

Mr. Combs has joined MCC as a teacher in our Exceptional Student Education department and is the Boys Lacrosse coach. He was born in Watertown, New York and has also lived in Chicago, Illinois. His educational background includes a B.S. from State University of New York at Potsdam and M.S. from Northwestern University. He is the founder of TI Lacrosse and brings many years of coaching experience at the college and high school level.

Mrs. Ann Kasch - Admissions

Mrs. Kasch is originally from Cleveland, Ohio but has lived in Melbourne for the past 20 years. Scott, her husband, is an MCC graduate and their daughter, Marisa, is a freshman. She has a B.S. from Ohio University. Mrs. Kasch comes to us from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School where taught grades Pre-K through 4th grade. At MCC, she will be spearheading our Admissions efforts .

Mr. Michael McMullan -

Fine Arts/Cadet Corps

Mr. McMullan is a member of our Fine Arts department responsible for teaching our Music and Drama students. As a former United States Marine, he is a model instructor for the Cadet Corps. He is a New Jersey native but has lived in Florida since 1986. Mr. McMullan has a B.S. from the University of Central Florida. Most recently, he was the Music Director and Music teacher for St. Mary's Catholic Parish and School in Rockledge. In addition, he is a professional musician.

Campus Security is a Top Priority

The campus security has been enhanced with the addition of an electric gate located on Florida Avenue accessible only by assigned codes during the school day. The only campus entry point is on Florida Avenue. The existing Babcock Street gate will be converted to an automatic exit only gate during this school year. To maximize security, the campus gates are closed during school hours. The gates will be open from 7 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and re-open at 3:15 p.m. All visitors should check-in at the Donovan Commons.

We are currently seeking volunteers for the MCC hospitality desk located at the entrance of the Donovan Commons. Anyone interested in helping any time between 8:30 a.m.-

3:30 p.m, Monday-Friday, should contact Roxanne Lestrange, [email protected].

Attention Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors:

Want to become involved in a service club and help others less fortunate?

Join the Key Club. Now accepting applications: available on Google classroom.

Enter code: tyes1lu

Questions? Contact Mrs. Herschbach, [email protected]

Senior Yearbook Ads

Honor your MCC graduate by placing a senior ad in the 2017-2018 Yearbook! Full page ads are available for $295 and half page ads $160. Click here to purchase your senior ad online. You may also choose to bring in or mail your pre-designed ad in high resolution on a USB flash drive. Ads should be in one of the following formats: jpeg, pdf or Microsoft Word. For more information, contact Mr. Amato at Aquinas 115 or [email protected] .

Click here to view sample ad

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2016-17 House Champions

Dragons of St. Anthony

Dragons may wear their House shirts with school bottoms next Thursday, August 31st to celebrate their year as the reigning champions. Students wearing their Dragon shirt will receive a special treat.

Underclassmen Photos

will be Wednesday, August 30. Prior to this date, order forms will be sent home so they may be returned with payment on picture day. Order forms can also be picked up in Mr. Amato's room, Aquinas 115.